A gruff voice echoed through the empty hallways, rough as sandpaper against the silence. It was the school janitor, muttering to himself as he shuffled toward the exit, his mop cttering against the bucket. He’d just finished his rounds—probably eager to escape the fluorescent hum of this pce and sink into the comfort of home. A sigh slipped from his lips, heavy with relief.

  He didn’t see it coming."Look out!" A sharp, feminine cry pierced the air. Before he could react, a pair of arms seized his waist, yanking him backward. His boots skidded on the tiles, and he crashed to the floor with a grunt. Instinctively, he opened his mouth to snap at the intruder—until his eyes caught the glint of metal above. An air conditioning unit dangled precariously from its mount, swaying where he’d stood moments ago. It groaned, then plummeted, shattering against the ground in a spray of dust and screws.The janitor’s throat tightened. He swallowed hard, his pulse hammering in his ears. If he’d taken one more step… He turned to his rescuer, words of gratitude tumbling out before he could stop them. She was young—high school age, maybe—with striking blue hair and cool grey eyes that seemed to see right through him. Wait. Those features. That name on the tip of his tongue."Aren’t you Ms.—""Mita Maki," she said, brushing dust off her skirt. "I’m just gd you’re safe."My name is Mita Maki, the Ultimate Seer. Let me tell you how this all started.I was six years old when it happened. My parents had pnned a trip overseas—an invitation from distant cousins I barely knew. I bounced around the house that morning, chattering nonstop about the adventure ahead. "Mom! Mom!" I called, tugging at her sleeve. "I wonder what’ll happen when we get there! Will we ride the roll—"My voice cut off mid-sentence. The world blurred, and a flood of images crashed into my mind. I saw our pne, its right wing swallowed by fmes. My family sat motionless in their seats, faces pale and bnk. My dad fumbled with his phone, shouting at the crew, while my mom’s eyes locked onto mine—wide, glistening, as if apologizing for something I couldn’t understand.I staggered, clutching my head. A normal kid might’ve brushed it off as a daydream, a trick of an overactive imagination. But I wasn’t normal. I was terrified."Mom! Mom! No, I don’t want to go!" My screams tore through the house, raw and desperate. "No!" I cwed at their arms, my small hands trembling. My parents exchanged worried gnces. Dad’s brow furrowed—he wasn’t about to cancel a family trip over what he called "a tantrum." But Mom knelt beside me, brushing hair from my sweaty forehead, her trust in me unwavering despite the madness spilling from my mouth.They relented. We detoured to a nearby medical center instead, Dad grumbling about wasted tickets while Mom held my hand. I sat there, shaking, convinced I’d seen our deaths. Then it happened. A distant rumble shook the air. We turned to the clinic’s TV just in time to see breaking news: a pne—our pne—exploding mid-flight, a fireball streaking across the sky.Mom gasped, her grip tightening on my hand. Dad stared at me, his skepticism repced by something unreadable—concern, maybe even fear. I’d been right. That vision wasn’t a fluke. It was real.After that, life went back to "normal"—if you can call it that. For me, everything changed. I started testing it, whispering questions to myself under my breath. Who spilled juice in the kitchen? A vision of my cousin’s guilty grin fshed before me. Will it rain today? I saw dark clouds rolling in hours before the first drop. It didn’t matter how small or big the question was—if I asked, the truth came rushing in, clear as day.I realized I had something extraordinary. Not just a talent, but a power straight out of a kid’s superhero show. Years ter, when the world started buzzing about "Ultimates"—high schoolers with exceptional abilities—I knew I wasn’t alone. I enrolled at a prestigious academy, my gift earning me the title "Ultimate Seer." And that’s how I ended up here—saving people and maybe chasing truths. I was still dusting off my uniform when I spotted my best friend, Zen Tsuruya, leaning against the school entrance. His arms were crossed, his dark hair falling zily over one eye. He caught sight of me and smirked."So, did you save someone again?" he asked, his tone dry but familiar."Of course I did," I said, adjusting my bag. "It warned me, after all."Zen shrugged, like he’d heard this a hundred times before. "Let me guess—you asked, ‘How and when will the next person in this school get into danger?’""Correct." I grinned. "Got the heads-up two days ago. Plenty of time to py hero.""Hmm. How nice. My best friend’s got a superpower, and here I am, just the Ultimate Nurse." He kicked a pebble across the pavement, his voice tinged with mock bitterness."Oh, please," I shot back. "Nothing wrong with that—especially when you’ve helped, what, 342 people in a single month?"He waved a hand dismissively. "That was just an internship. Nothing special."Nothing special? The guy had the stamina of a machine. I swear, he could patch up a whole hospital ward and still have energy to spare. Inhuman, honestly."Wanna py Rune of Legends?" I asked, switching gears. "I’m still stuck in Epic since the reset."His face twisted into an apologetic grimace. "Sorry, can’t. Parents dragged me into some fancy party tonight. A big-shot doctor’s doing a surgery demo or something.""A surgery? As a presentation?" My eyes lit up. "Can I tag along?""Nope. Invite-only." He gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Catch you ter, Mita."I sighed dramatically as he walked off, then trudged back to my apartment. The pce was quiet as always—too quiet. I tossed my bag onto the couch and gnced at my phone. A text from Mom glowed on the screen: Sweetie! Don’t forget to eat dinner! I smiled faintly, then shut it off. Homework awaited.Midnight crept in, the apartment’s silence pressing against my ears. I sprawled across my bed, homework scattered like fallen leaves around me, my pen dangling loosely in my hand. Zen popped into my mind—probably schmoozing with doctors and sipping fancy drinks by now. I grabbed my phone, thumb hovering over his name. Couldn’t hurt to check in, right?Hey Zen, how was the party? I typed, hitting send before I could overthink it. The screen stared back at me, bnk. No dots, no reply. I frowned—then jolted as the phone buzzed, his name lighting up the dispy. A call? This te? I swiped to answer, grinning."So, how was it, Zen? Zeeeeennnnn?" I teased, drawing out his name.Silence. Just the faint hum of the line. My grin faltered. "Hello? Hey, Zen! Come on, answer already!" I pressed the phone tighter to my ear, straining to hear anything—a ugh, a breath, something.Nothing.Then, a voice cut through—soft, feminine, and chillingly unfamiliar. "I think you’d do nicely in my game."The call dropped. My stomach lurched. I stared at the screen, now dark, my reflection staring back in wide-eyed shock. What the hell was that? My heart thudded against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat. I hadn’t used my ability today—not yet. Now felt like the time. "What happened to Zen?" I whispered, barely audible over the blood rushing in my ears. Visions smmed into me. Zen’s face fshed first—sck, unconscious—then a group of figures in bck-and-white bear masks swarming him. Their gloved hands dragged him into a van, tires screeching as it peeled away. I caught a glimpse of the license pte—X7K-492—before the scene dissolved. My knees buckled, breath hitching."Zen!" I gasped, clutching the phone. I had to call the police. My ties with them as the Ultimate Seer meant they’d listen—they had to. I fumbled with the screen, but the bars in the corner mocked me. No signal. "What the—why can’t I get a connection?"A loud cck echoed from the front door. The lock. Someone had undone it. My pulse spiked, icy dread pooling in my gut. I bolted for the bathroom—hide, I had to hide—but my socked feet slipped on the tiles. Too slow. A sharp thud rattled the apartment as the door swung open, and a hiss filled the air. Thick, cloying gas poured in, curling around my ankles. I stumbled, coughing, my vision swimming. Sleeping gas? My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the cold floor, the world fading to bck.

  Pain jolted me awake—my shin smming into something hard. I yelped, eyes snapping open, and found myself sprawled beside a school desk. A school desk? I rubbed my leg, wincing. "Ouch…" The room spun into focus—dimly lit, with chipped paint peeling off the walls and rows of desks lined up like silent sentinels. This wasn’t my cssroom. This wasn’t home."Zen!" I shouted, the name ripping out of me before I could stop it. My hands flew to my mouth. No—no wasting questions. Not yet. I needed to think. Where was I? The air smelled stale, tinged with rust and dust. Windows lined one wall, but thick metal ptes bolted over them blocked any hint of the outside. A surveilnce camera blinked in the corner, its red eye unblinking.I hauled myself up, legs shaky, and crept to the door. The hallway beyond stretched endlessly, lined with more cssrooms—each as drab and lifeless as the st. My sneakers squeaked against the floor, the sound swallowed by the oppressive quiet. I peeked into another room—empty—then another, until a voice stopped me cold."Are you in the same situation too?" It was soft, tentative, tinged with hope. I spun around. A petite girl stood there, her pink hair catching the faint light, her matching pink eyes wide and searching. She tilted her head, studying me like I might hold answers."Do you know why this is happening?" I asked, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. I locked eyes with her, desperate for even a scrap of truth.She shook her head, strands of hair swaying. "No, I’m in the same boat. We’re all in the gymnasium, though—you should come. Everyone’s there.""The gymnasium?" I echoed, suspicion prickling my spine. A trap? My gut churned, urging me to use my ability, to know. But my heart hesitated. She looked harmless—small, almost fragile. Could I trust her?We walked in silence, her steps light beside my heavier tread. The hallway seemed to stretch forever, the weight of uncertainty pressing harder with every echo. My mind screamed to ask, to see the truth, but I bit my tongue. Not yet."I’m Mita Maki, by the way," I said, breaking the quiet. "What’s your name?""Oh!" She brightened, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I’m Kanon Yuko—you can call me Yuko. So, um, what do you think dragged us into this?"I hesitated. Tell her about Zen? The bear masks? No—too risky. She might panic, or worse, turn on me. "No clue," I said, keeping my tone casual. "Maybe something to do with our families?"She nodded thoughtfully, and we kept moving. The gymnasium loomed ahead, its double doors cracked open. Voices spilled out—some loud, some hushed. I stepped inside, and fourteen pairs of eyes turned to me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and exhaustion. They’d clearly been at this a while."Is this the st one, or are there more?" A blond-haired boy spoke up, his voice steady but edged with impatience. He stood near the center, arms crossed, exuding a quiet confidence."I found her in the corridor," Yuko replied, gesturing to me. "There might be others—we don’t know yet.""Excuse me," I cut in, raising my voice. "Can anyone tell me what’s going on?"A bck-haired boy approached, his movements deliberate. He extended a hand, a faint smile softening his sharp features. "I’m Saito Akihiro, the Ultimate Technician. Nice to meet you."I stared at his hand, then shook it cautiously. "Mita Maki, Ultimate Seer. Now, can you expin this mess?"His smile widened, but his eyes stayed serious. "As far as we can tell, we’ve all been kidnapped. We’ve searched for exits, but no luck so far. The others can fill you in."Kidnapped. The word sank into me like a stone. I gnced around—sixteen of us, trapped in this cavernous room, the air thick with tension. But something gnawed at me. This didn’t feel like a simple abduction. There was more coming. I could taste it. The gymnasium buzzed with restless energy, the kind that crackled like static before a storm. Fourteen strangers stared at me, their faces a gallery of suspicion, fatigue, and fleeting hope. I shifted under their scrutiny, my skin prickling. Saito Akihiro’s handshake still lingered in my grip—firm, steady—but it did little to ease the knot in my chest.A purple-haired girl leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over a generous chest. She tilted her head, sizing me up. "Mita Maki," she mused aloud, her voice low and smoky. "Why does that name sound familiar?"I straightened, a spark of pride cutting through my unease. "You’ve probably seen me in the papers. I’m the Ultimate Seer." The words rolled off my tongue with a confidence I didn’t fully feel—not here, not now.The blond boy—Kagami, I’d ter learn—raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes sharp. "Ultimate Seer, huh? What’s that even do?""Simple," I said, meeting his gaze. "I can know the truth—past, present, future. Ask a question, and I see it." I kept the limits to myself—one question a day wasn’t their business yet.A boy with round gsses and messy brown hair gaped at me, pushing his frames up his nose. "Wait, seriously? That’s way more OP than my Ultimate Game Designer title!"I smirked, a flicker of amusement breaking through the tension. "It’s got restrictions, but yeah, it’s pretty handy." Their stares shifted—some curious, some wary. I could practically hear the gears turning in their heads. Time to take control, doing this, I'd also know if 24 hours had already passed. "Anyway, I’ve had enough guessing. Let’s figure this out." I lowered my voice, barely a murmur. "Where are we, and who kidnapped us?"

  The visions hit fast and hard, looks like I was spot, 24 hours had already passed. An isnd coast stretched before me—jagged cliffs, crashing waves, no signs of life. Abandoned. Then a figure: a small bear, half white, half bck, its grin split by a jagged line. My breath caught. A bear? The image flickered out, leaving me blinking at the gym’s cracked ceiling.

  "Ms. Maki?" Yuko’s soft voice tugged me back. Her hand brushed my shoulder, light as a feather. "Are you okay?""Huh?" I shook my head, snapping out of it. "Yeah, sorry. I used my ability. We’re on some abandoned isnd. And the kidnapper…" I hesitated, the absurdity sticking in my throat. "It’s a bck-and-white bear. I know it sounds crazy but..." 'Is my power glitching?' I thought."On the contrary, it’s working perfectly!" A shrill, mechanical voice sliced through the room. I flinched, my head whipping toward the podium at the gym’s center. There it stood—the bear from my vision, barely three feet tall, one eye glinting red. Its plush exterior cshed with the menace rolling off it in waves."What the hell is that?" A light-blue-haired boy lunged forward, grabbing my colr in a panic. His fingers dug into my shirt, his breath hot and ragged."Get off me!" I shoved him back, irritation fring. "I don’t know!""Please, everyone, stop yelling!" Yuko’s plea rose above the chaos, her small frame trembling."Let’s smash it!" A rough-looking boy with wild brown hair charged toward the podium, fists clenched."Simpletons," a red-haired boy sneered from the sidelines, his voice dripping venom. "Go ahead and die a dog’s death.""Hey, redhead, cool it!" The game designer spun on him, indignant. "That’s not protag material!""I won’t let anyone die here!" Kagami’s voice boomed, firm and unshakable, cutting through the cmor.The rest stayed silent—some fidgeting, some frozen. I clenched my fists. Enough. "So you’re the bear who kidnapped us," I said, stepping forward. "This’ll be easy, then. What do you want? Money? Fame? We’ll cooperate, but the police will notice sixteen missing kids. You’re screwed either way."The bear—Monokuma—threw its head back and cackled, a grating, metallic sound that scraped my nerves raw. "HAHAHAHA! Oh, you’re adorable! I’m Monokuma, your new headmaster!"My throat burned, a warning fre I hadn’t felt since the pne. Something bad was coming. "Y-you," I rasped, my voice cracking. "What are you pnning?""Just let us go!" Yuko cried, her fists balled at her sides."I’ve got a mother to take care of," Saito muttered beside me, his calm facade cracking. "I won’t stand for this."Shouts erupted—anger, fear, defiance—but Monokuma cpped its paws, and the room shook. Bang bang bang bang! A gatling gun roared from the left wall, bullets tearing into the floor. I ducked, heart smming against my ribs, as pster dust rained down. Bullet holes pocked the tiles, steaming faintly."Still think this is a joke?" Monokuma chirped, tilting its head. "You’ll live in this academy forever—until you die.""What?" My voice broke. "Forever? But… Mom…" I saw her in my mind—alone, crying, like when Dad died. No. I couldn’t let that happen."You can’t do this!" I screamed. "It’s inhuman!""Which is why," Monokuma continued, unfazed, "there’s a way out."I froze. A way out? "What—""Just kill someone," it said, casual as if suggesting lunch.The words hung there, heavy and surreal. Half the room gaped; the other half flinched. "But not just any murder," Monokuma went on, wagging a paw. "You’ve got to win the css trial—spotless versus bckened. Details are in the Monopads in your pockets!"I fumbled at my jacket, pulling out a sleek device. The screen glowed to life, and I tapped the "Rules" section, my hands trembling.Rule #1: Sleeping anywhere other than your assigned room is prohibited. Viotors will be punished.Rule #2: Violence against Headmaster Monokuma, surveilnce cameras, or school property is forbidden without cause.Rule #3: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "bckened" graduates—unless they’re caught.Rule #4: After a murder, a mandatory css trial begins for all survivors.Rule #5: If the bckened is exposed at trial, they’re executed.Rule #6: If the bckened isn’t exposed, they graduate and leave the school. Everyone else is executed.The words blurred as my stomach twisted. Murder? Trials? Execution? I’d worked with the police, sure, but this—this was my life on the line. I scanned the room, every face now a potential threat. "Stop!" Kagami’s voice rang out, steady and fierce. "We won’t kill anyone! This thing’s pying us. You really think murder gets you out? And even if it did, could you face your family as a killer?" "Get off your high horse, Kaga-bitch," the redhead—Otsuka Yuichi, I’d ter learn—snapped, his lip curling."That’s Kagami Rin to you," Kagami shot back, his gre like steel."Tsk. I’m out. I’m not dying here." Otsuka stormed off, the doors smming behind him."Ms. Maki?" Yuko’s whisper pulled me aside, her pink eyes wide. "Can’t you find an escape route? You’re the Ultimate Seer.""Huh?" I blinked, feigning ignorance. "Why would I—""She’s right," Saito chimed in, his tone earnest. "You’ve got that power.""An Ultimate Seer?!" The wild-haired boy bellowed, gawking at me."Stop—leave me alone!" The pressure crashed down—fear of death, suspicion from strangers, Zen’s absence. I staggered back, chest heaving. "Zen… where are you?" I muttered, a hollow ugh escaping me. No one followed as I stumbled away. No hero was swooping in to save me. "Is this really where I’ll die?" I slumped against a wall, the cold seeping through my uniform."Ms. Maki!" Yuko’s voice broke through, bright and determined. She jogged toward me, her small smile a lifeline. "There you are!""Kanon?" I squinted at her, wary but aching to trust. "Why’d you come after me?""I was worried," she said simply, offering a hand. "Come on, let’s rejoin the group. We’re finishing introductions." Her warmth cut through my doubt. I took her hand, and we returned to the gym. The others softened when they saw me—less restless, more understanding. "It’s fine, Ms. Maki," Kagami said, his tone gentler. "No pressure. Just tell us if you learn anything useful.""Yes, Blondy," I teased, a smirk tugging at my lips."Blondy?!" He bristled. "It’s Kagami Rin!" I stifled a ugh, remembering Otsuka’s jab. Kagami sighed, muttering about "that childish brat," then straightened. "Most of the group’s split off, but we’re pairing up. I’ll take Akihiro. You go with Yuko. Meet back here this afternoon with reports—after that, do what you want."My dorm was next—a cozy oasis amid the nightmare. Plush bed, warm lights, a shower that actually worked. I stepped inside, locking the door, and caught my reflection in the mirror. Blue hair tangled, grey eyes steely. "Time to get serious," I said, staring myself down. "How the fuck do I get out of here with my ability?"